Crossbar switch



April 3 J. N. REYNOLDS 1,953,503

CROSSBAR SWITCH Filed Nov. 4. 1932 3 Sheets$heet l //\/|/EN7 0R JNREVNOLDS A TTORNE V April 3, 1934. J. N. REYNOLDS CROSSBAR SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1932 FIG. 3

April 3, 1934. J. N. REYNOLDS CROSSBAR SWITCH Filed NOV. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR J. N. REYNOL 05 A T TORNE Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE CROSSBAR SWITCH Application November 4, 1932, Serial No. 641,215

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in telephone switch mechanisms of the cross-bar switch type.

'The object of this invention is to simplify switches of this kind by constructing the component parts in easily assembled units to reduce the construction and maintenance cost.

Cross-bar switches of the type to which this invention is applicable may embody the general principles disclosed in Patent 1,303,084 to F. A. Lundquist of May 6, 1919. In such switches, sets of intersecting bars are employed, one set for each outgoing line and one set for each incoming line, together with contact sets located adjacent the intersections of the bars with means whereby the longitudinal displacementof two intersecting bars causes electrical connections to be established between an incoming line and an outgoing line-through the contacts of a set located at the crossing point of the two operated bars.

The applicants copending application Serial No. 641,214, filed November 4, 1932, also discloses a switch of this general kind except that its intersecting bars are of the rocking or rotating kind and its frame comprises magnet structures and metal strips welded together.

A feature of the present invention is a switch of the general character disclosed in the above mentioned patent to Lundquist insofar as the longitudinal displacement of the intersecting bars are concerned in which the frame comprises four metal strips welded together at the edges and in which vertical and horizontal magnet structures of the type disclosed in the above mentioned copending application Serial No. 641,214

are employed. Each magnet structure includes a row of operating magnets and a common pole piece mounted in the frame and an individual detachable armature for each magnet. The vertical and horizontal sliding bars have one end mounted in the frame and the other end hooked to the individual armatures and the groups of contact sets are mounted in the frame. These groups of contacts and bars are so located in relation to each other that when the armatures of one horizontal and one vertical magnet are operated, corresponding bars are moved longitudinally to cause electrical connections to be established between contacts of the group located at the crossing point of these actuated bars.

Other features of this invention relate to construction details of a switch of this kind such as detachable insulation strips for the groups of contacts and special arrangements for mounting them and the magnet structures on vertical and horizontal partitions Welded to the frame.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front view of a cross-bar switch embodying the features of this invention with but few intersecting operating bars shown for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2 of Fig. 1 with but one vertical and three horizontal intersecting operating bars shown for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a relay unit showing one operating magnet, a detachable armature and a horizontal and a vertical intersecting operating bar and a portion of a set of contact springs and intersecting fingers to show the manner in which these bars cooperate to establish circuit connections.

. Fig. 4 is a portion of one of the detachable contact springs; while Fi 5 is a front View of a modified form of cross-bar switch embodying the features of this invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the frame structure for the switch consists of four metal strips, 1, 2, 3 and 4 and a vertical partition 5 and a horizontal partition 6. These sides and partitions are welded together at points such as 7. On the vertical partition 5 is mounted, by means of screws, a magnet structure 8 containing a number of operating magnets for the horizontal operating bars and on the horizontal partition 6 is mounted, by means of screws, a magnet structure 10 containing a number of operating magnets for the vertical intersecting bars. The magnet structures 8 and 10 may be of the general construction as shown in my copending applications, Serial Nos. 641,213. and 641,214, filed Nov. 4, 1932. In general, the magnet structure 8 or 10 consists of a U-shaped common pole piece 13 in which cores 14 are welded to the central portion. Over these cores are slipped form wound windings 15 which may be held in place by suitable washers. On the common pole piece are mounted the detachable armature structures such as shown in Fig. 3 in detail and with the armatures in position in front of the cores and windings to be operated thereby. The central portion of the common pole piece is cut out in places for the passage of the terminals of the windings to the back of the frame structure for the establishing of connections. To the frame members 1 and .3 may be secured lugs for the fastening of the cross-bar switch to the usual mounting rack or frame in an exchange.

' The horizontal operating bars 9 may consist of flat bars of a rectangular cross-section with projections on the upper sides and the vertical operating bars 11 may be of the same shape with projections 21. The operating bars are hung on the hook-shaped extensions of the armatures the operating magnet as shown in Fig. 2 at and the opposite ends of these bars are slidably mounted in bearing plates secured to the frame members. The bearing plate 24 is provided for the vertical bars and the bearing plate 26 is provided for the horizontal bars. The vertical operating bars are adapted to be operated upward while the horizontal operating bars are adapted to be operated towards the left looking at Fig. 1.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, each detachable armature structure consists of the armature proper 27 and the extension 23 hereinbefore mentioned to which an operating bar is hooked. The extension 23 is bent at the upper part of the armature to form a lug or bar 28 and a similar lug 29 is bent from the opposite side of the armature. Through these lugs are passed and secured a pivot 30. The armature is then held by this pivot against one side of the common pole piece by means of a bracket 31 having lugs 32 and 3.3 bent from the sides thereof. These lugs are provided with slots in vhich the pivot rests and is held against the :ide of the pole piece. This side of the pole piece is slotted between eachtwo windings so that the armature is therefore free to move. in with the pivot rotating in the slots in the lugsv 32, and 33 and against the, side of the pole piece. bracket 31 is welded at 35 to another bracket 36 and these two brackets are thensecured by means of a screw 37 to the side of the common pole piece. The bracket 36 has a projection 38 to hold the extension 23 on the armature in an adjusted position to regulate the air gap between the armature and the core. The bracket 36 has also projection 39 at the opposite end that extends through a hole in the bracket 31 and is bent over the top of bracket 31 to limit the upward movement of the bracket 31. To remove the armature, the bracket 31 which is flexible may be lifted by means of the tip 41 to release the pivot 30 from the slots in the lugs 32- and 33.

Each contact strip 43 comprises a moulded bar of insulation material in which are molded groups of contact springs 44. These contact strips are mounted on a back plate 46 that may be welded at 7 to cover the entire space formed by the vertical and. horizontal partitions 5 and ti and the frame members 2 and 3. The plate may have apertures 47 therein through which moulded lugs 48 of the strips 46 project. These lugs 48 may extend over two sets of contact springs 44 longitudinally. The contact strips 43 are held in position on the plate 46 by means of screws 49. The horizontal off-normal contact springs are secured in a separate contact strip 50 and operated by means of lugs 51 on the vertical operating bars. Each time one of these bars is operated upward, a set of off-normal contacts is operated. In each contact strip 43 there is a corresponding set of vertical offnormal contact springs operated by means of lugs 53 on the corresponding horizontal bars. In each contact strip 43. is moulded also theintercepting fingers 56 one for each set of contact springs. An operating plate 57 is also provided having holes through which every other spring projects by means of a lug and thus movement of the plate 57 towards the left causes electrical contacts to be made between adjacent springs in pairs.

The operation of this cross-bar switch may be explained as follows referring especially to Fig. 3. The operation of a set of contacts is established by the operation of a vertical bar upward and ahorizontal bar towards the left. The struction finger 56 which normally rests in the corner made by a lug 2G and a lug 21 of a hon izontal and a vertical bar, respectively, is cperated first by means of the vertical bar 11 to place it between the lug 20 and the operating plate 5']. The horizontal bar 9 is then moved to press by means of the lug 20 and finger 56 the plate 57 towards the left and thus cause electrical connections to be established between the associated spring contacts. The obstruction finger is then held in this position by the horizontal bar while the vertical bar may be returned to nor mal. When the connection is to be released, the horizontal bar is released permitting the obstruction finger 56 to return to its normal position.

The modified form of the cross-ber switch shown in Fig. 5 is identical in construction to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 except that the vertical operating magnets are divided in two groups. The operating magnets for every other horizontal operating bar are placed in separate common pole pieces which are located alongside of each other on the left hand side in the structure. The pole pieces are, in this case, welded to the upper and lower frame strips 4 and 2 at '7. The first, third. fifth, etc. horizontal operating bars are controlled by magnets in the unit 60 and the second, fourth, sixth, etc. horizontal operating bars are controlled by magnets in the units 61. The pole piece unit 63 for the vertical' operating bars is also welded at '7 to the vertical partition 64 and the right hand frame member 3. The arrangement of the contact strips and the operation of the contact springs by the vertical and horizontal bars are otherwise the same as in the cross-bar switch shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

It should be noted, as shown in this embodiment of the invention that the operating bars may be removed individually from the switch structure by lifting them off their respective hooks 23 and out of their hearing plates 24 and'26.

The contact strips may also be removed from their mountings by removing the screws 49. The replacing of contact combinations in different combinations is thus facilitated. The armaturcs and coil windings are also removable to permit the replacement and changes as required.

It should be understood that while but" two embodiments of the invention have been shown in the drawings, these embodiments should mere 1y be taken as illustrative of the invention and that the invention may be applied in other similar structures without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone switch, a frame comprising four metal strips welded together at the ends, vertical and horizontal magnet structures, each magnet structure including a row of operating magnets and a common pole piece, and switch- I ing means controlled by said operating magnets.

2. In a telephone switch, a frame the sides of which comprise four metal strips with their adjacent ends welded together and with their lengths slightly less than the outside dimensions of the frame, vertical and horizontal magnet structures secured inside said frame, each magnet structure including a row of operating magnets and a common pole piece, and switching means controlled by said operating magnets.

3. In a telephone switch, a frame comprising four metal strips welded together at the ends, vertical and horizontal magnet structures, each including a row of operating magnets, a common pole piece and individual armatures for said magnets, groups of contacts mounted in said frame, horizontal and vertical sliding bars having one end mounted in the frame, means for hooking the other ends of the bars to the armatures of corresponding vertical and horizontal magnets, and means operative in response to the operation of the armatures of one horizontal and one vertical magnet for actuating the corresponding bars longitudinally and for thereby causing electrical connections to be established between the contacts of a group located near the crossing point of said actuated bars.

4. In a telephone switch, a frame comprising four metal strips welded together at the ends, a vertical and a horizontal magnet structure each including a row of operating magnets and individual detachable armatures for said magnets, said magnet structures being detachably mounted in said frame, groups of contacts, means for detachably mounting said groups in said frame, horizontal and vertical sliding bars having one end movably mounted in said frame and the other end hooked to the individual armatures of corresponding magnets, and means operative in response to the operation of the armatures of one horizontal and one vertical magnet for actuating the corresponding bars longitudinally and for thereby causing electrical connections to be established between the contacts of a group located near the crossing point of said actuated bars.

5. In a telephone switch, a frame comprising four metal strips welded together at the ends, a horizontal and a vertical magnet structure each comprising a common pole piece detachably mounted in said frame, a plurality of magnets mounted in each pole piece and an individual armature for each magnet, detachably mounted on the pole pieces, insulation strips, contact springs arranged in rows in groups partly embedded in said insulation strips, means for securing said insulation strips between the vertical sides of said frame in horizontal layers, vertical and horizontal sliding bars arranged in rows, mounting strips for one end of said bars attached to the frame, means for hooking the other ends of the bars to armatures of corresponding operating magnets, and means operative in response to the operation of the armatures of one horizontal and one vertical magnet for actuating the corresponding bars longitudinally and for thereby causing electrical connections to be es tablished between the contacts of a group located near the crossing point of said operated bars.

6. In a telephone switch, a frame comprising four metal strips welded together at the ends, a metal partition closing the rear of said frame, a vertical and a horizontal metal partition dividing said frame and welded thereto, magnet structures comprising common pole pieces detachably mounted on said vertical and horizontal partitions, a plurality of magnets arranged in a row in each pole piece and individual armatures for said magnets, detachably mounted on the pole pieces, insulation strips, contact springs arranged in rows in groups partly embedded in said insulation strips, means for securing said insulation strips between the vertical partition and one of the vertical sides of the frame in horizontal layers, horizontal and vertical sliding bars, phosphor bronze bearings for one end of said bars con nected to a vertical and a horizontal side of the frame respectively, means for hooking the other ends of the bars to the armatures of corresponding magnets, a transfer contact insulation strip having the contact springs arranged in rows in groups partly embedded therein, means for mounting said transfer contact strip in a horizontal position between the vertical partition and one side of the frame, a group of horizontal transfer contacts in each of said first mentioned insulation strips, means responsive to the operation of the armature of one horizontal and one vertical magnet for actuating corresponding bars longitudinally and for thereby causing electrical connections to be established between the contacts of the group located near the crossing point of said operated bars and a corresponding group of contacts and between a corresponding group of vertical and horizontal transfer contacts.

7. In a telephone switch, a frame comprising four metal strips welded together at the ends, two vertical and one horizontal magnet structure each including a row of operating magnets, a common pole piece and individual armatures for said magnets, mounted in said frame, and switching means controlled by said magnets.

8. In a telephone switch, a frame comprising four metal strips welded together at the ends, two vertical and one horizontal magnet structures each including a row of operating magnets, a common pole piece and individual armatures for said magnets, said pole pieces being welded to the side of the frame, and switching means controlled by said magnets.

9. In a telephone switch, a frame comprising four metal strips welded together at the ends, two vertical and one horizontal magnet structures, each including a row of operating magnets, a common pole piece welded to the frame and individual armatures for said magnets, insulation strips, contact springs arranged in rows in groups in said strips, means for securing said strips in horizontal layers to the frame, vertical and horizontal bars, one end of said bars mounted in the frame and the other one hooked to the armature of corresponding magnets, with the horizontal bars hooked to armatures of alternate magnets in the two vertical magnet structures, and means responsive to the operation of the armature of one horizontal and one vertical magnet for actuating corresponding bars longitudinally and for causing thereby electrical connections to be established between the contacts of the group located near the crossing point of said actuated bars.

JOHN N. REYNOLDS. 

